I arrived at the Scandinavian Club just a few minutes before the start, with just enough time to register, drop off my donated toy, head back to my car to drop my wallet and keys, and run back to the starting line. I can tell you there is not a lot of parking down in that particular neck of Fairfield… We started the race running through the back alleys down by the water, which would have been fun to do the whole race, but wasn’t to be. I managed to pick off a few folks I was running with, though the cold temperatures today were not conducive to a speedy race. I somehow managed my fastest 5K since June, but I have a feeling the course was little short. It felt good to get one more race in before the end of the year, and the soup, chips, and salsa after the finish was a first. The race was nicely organized and friendly, with some good costumes going on.

I ended my second full year of the 169 Towns challenge with 25 more in my belt over the course of the year. Overall, I ran 27 races in the year, so I’ve been sticking pretty closely to the new towns, with only the annual Leatherman’s Loop and Bagel Race as returning races. We’ll see what the new year brings!

Holiday Run for Toys | 5K | 12/17/17 | 22:25 | 62/169